Physical Education (Community)
Encyclopedia
"Physical Education" is the seventeenth episode of the first season of the American comedy television series Community
. It aired in the United States on NBC
on March 04, 2010.
) enters the study room, wearing a leather jacket in an attempt to look cool for his first day of billiards class. While the group spends some time mocking Britta's pronunciation of the word 'bagel', Troy (Donald Glover
) soon finds a romantically-styled portrait drawn into his used Spanish book which closely resembles Abed (Danny Pudi
). The group concludes that the previous owner of the book must be a girl who has a crush on Abed. The group goes to Señor Chang (Ken Jeong
) with the book, who reveals that the previous owner's name is Jenny Adams, which was written on the front of the book. However Abed doesn't seem excited to meet her, and though Jeff encourages them to leave Abed be, the rest of the group encourages him to go talk to her.
Inside the College Gym, Jeff is playing pool in his leather jacket, impressing his fellow students and the pool teacher Coach Bogner (Blake Clark
) with his technique. However, Bogner tells the class that they must wear gym shorts because pool is seen as a phys ed class, frustrating Jeff. Meanwhile, the rest of the group are in the cafeteria, where Annie (Alison Brie
) points out Jenny Adams. They tell Abed to go over to her, but he refuses, saying it's not something that he would do. Annie asks whether a different version of himself might to over and engage with her, and Abed in response creates at version of himself which resembles a hissing vampire. They rest of the group conclude that he can't be himself in front of her.
Jeff enters the gym wearing tiny gym shorts and his leather jacket, looking visibly uncomfortable. After a moment of trying to look cool in the required gym shorts, he changes his clothes and confronts Coach Bogner. Bogner accuses Jeff of being a 'hipster' because he cares more about what he looks like than the game. Jeff challenges him to a game of pool, but Bogner tells him he will only play Jeff in shorts; Jeff refuses and leaves the class.
The rest of the group are trying to get Abed to be a different person for Jenny. Troy suggests he try a practice run on Annie and seduces her with his impersonation of Mad Men
s Don Draper
. The group suggests Abed impersonate different characters from various TV shows, when Jeff enters and vents his frustration that they're trying to make Abed someone else. Abed then starts impersonating Jeff, which really impresses group who tell him that he should act like that when he approaches Jenny. Abed goes up to Jenny and begins seducing her, which she appears to enjoy, until suddenly her boyfriend (also played by Pudi, but with extensive makeup) appears, who looks exactly like Abed except for his white skin.
In the study room, Dean Pelton (Jim Rash
) taunts Jeff over the intercom about leaving the pool class. The group predicts that Abed will be upset about the failure of his engagement with Jenny, but when he enters the room he seems unaffected by what happened. When questioned by the group, he tells them that he went after Jenny because he knew how important it was for them. He allays their fears by telling them that he gets lots of attention from girls, and that he's more used to girls approaching him; however, he explains that knowing what he likes about himself makes changing for others not such a big deal. This inspires Jeff to forget about his ego and face Bogner in a game of pool.
Jeff then enters the common room in shorts challenging Bogner to a game of pool, and a crowd gathers to watch their intense match. In between shots, Bogner tells Jeff that he hasn't learned anything and that he still thinks that looking cool is more important. Jeff drops his shorts in front of everybody, saying that he doesn't care about being cool and accuses Bogner of projecting his obsession with clothing onto others. Bogner strips down to his underwear, claiming he doesn't care how he looks, and Jeff follows suit. Bogner gets to the last ball, and tells Jeff that people will remember that one of them loved clothes, and the other loved the game. Both men then rip off their underwear while screaming, much to the disgust of the audience. Bogner misses his shot, which Jeff sinks, earning himself the victory and the respect of Bogner. The group cautiously surround Jeff in a celebratory group hug without touching him. One of Jeff's classmates asks Jeff if he can introduce her to Abed, to which Jeff suggests that it would be better if she introduced herself instead.
In an ending tag scene, Troy and Abed mimick Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street
, when suddenly Troy remembers that it's the day of his cousin's funeral.
's sixth episode and writer Jessie Miller's first of the series.
Community (TV series)
Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
. It aired in the United States on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
on March 04, 2010.
Plot
Jeff (Joel McHaleJoel McHale
Joel Edward McHale is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, television producer, television personality, and voice artist. He is best known for hosting The Soup and for his role as Jeff Winger on Community....
) enters the study room, wearing a leather jacket in an attempt to look cool for his first day of billiards class. While the group spends some time mocking Britta's pronunciation of the word 'bagel', Troy (Donald Glover
Donald Glover
Donald McKinley Glover is an American actor, writer, comedian, and musician. Glover first came to attention for his work in the sketch group Derrick Comedy, and is best known for his role as community college student Troy Barnes on the NBC comedy series Community...
) soon finds a romantically-styled portrait drawn into his used Spanish book which closely resembles Abed (Danny Pudi
Danny Pudi
Danny Pudi is an American actor, best known for his role as Abed Nadir on the NBC comedy series Community.-Early years:Pudi, who is of Indian and Polish descent, was born and raised in Chicago and grew up speaking Polish...
). The group concludes that the previous owner of the book must be a girl who has a crush on Abed. The group goes to Señor Chang (Ken Jeong
Ken Jeong
Kendrick Kang-Joh "Ken" Jeong , also known as "Dr. Ken," is an American comedian, actor, and physician. Currently, he appears as Ben Chang on the NBC comedy series Community.-Early life and medical career:...
) with the book, who reveals that the previous owner's name is Jenny Adams, which was written on the front of the book. However Abed doesn't seem excited to meet her, and though Jeff encourages them to leave Abed be, the rest of the group encourages him to go talk to her.
Inside the College Gym, Jeff is playing pool in his leather jacket, impressing his fellow students and the pool teacher Coach Bogner (Blake Clark
Blake Clark
Blake Clark is an American actor, voice artist, comedian, and veteran of the Vietnam War, having served as a Captain with the 101st Airborne Division....
) with his technique. However, Bogner tells the class that they must wear gym shorts because pool is seen as a phys ed class, frustrating Jeff. Meanwhile, the rest of the group are in the cafeteria, where Annie (Alison Brie
Alison Brie
-External links:...
) points out Jenny Adams. They tell Abed to go over to her, but he refuses, saying it's not something that he would do. Annie asks whether a different version of himself might to over and engage with her, and Abed in response creates at version of himself which resembles a hissing vampire. They rest of the group conclude that he can't be himself in front of her.
Jeff enters the gym wearing tiny gym shorts and his leather jacket, looking visibly uncomfortable. After a moment of trying to look cool in the required gym shorts, he changes his clothes and confronts Coach Bogner. Bogner accuses Jeff of being a 'hipster' because he cares more about what he looks like than the game. Jeff challenges him to a game of pool, but Bogner tells him he will only play Jeff in shorts; Jeff refuses and leaves the class.
The rest of the group are trying to get Abed to be a different person for Jenny. Troy suggests he try a practice run on Annie and seduces her with his impersonation of Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
s Don Draper
Don Draper
Donald "Don" Draper is a fictional character and the protagonist of AMC's television series Mad Men. He is portrayed by 2008 Golden Globe winner Jon Hamm. Until the third season finale, Draper was Creative Director of Manhattan advertising firm Sterling Cooper...
. The group suggests Abed impersonate different characters from various TV shows, when Jeff enters and vents his frustration that they're trying to make Abed someone else. Abed then starts impersonating Jeff, which really impresses group who tell him that he should act like that when he approaches Jenny. Abed goes up to Jenny and begins seducing her, which she appears to enjoy, until suddenly her boyfriend (also played by Pudi, but with extensive makeup) appears, who looks exactly like Abed except for his white skin.
In the study room, Dean Pelton (Jim Rash
Jim Rash
Jim Rash was born in Charlotte, North Carolina and is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter.His most noticeable appearance was when he portrayed Mr Grayson/Stitches, a sidekick to the supervillain 'Royal Pain' in the 2005 film Sky High and as the recurring characters Fenton on That '70s Show...
) taunts Jeff over the intercom about leaving the pool class. The group predicts that Abed will be upset about the failure of his engagement with Jenny, but when he enters the room he seems unaffected by what happened. When questioned by the group, he tells them that he went after Jenny because he knew how important it was for them. He allays their fears by telling them that he gets lots of attention from girls, and that he's more used to girls approaching him; however, he explains that knowing what he likes about himself makes changing for others not such a big deal. This inspires Jeff to forget about his ego and face Bogner in a game of pool.
Jeff then enters the common room in shorts challenging Bogner to a game of pool, and a crowd gathers to watch their intense match. In between shots, Bogner tells Jeff that he hasn't learned anything and that he still thinks that looking cool is more important. Jeff drops his shorts in front of everybody, saying that he doesn't care about being cool and accuses Bogner of projecting his obsession with clothing onto others. Bogner strips down to his underwear, claiming he doesn't care how he looks, and Jeff follows suit. Bogner gets to the last ball, and tells Jeff that people will remember that one of them loved clothes, and the other loved the game. Both men then rip off their underwear while screaming, much to the disgust of the audience. Bogner misses his shot, which Jeff sinks, earning himself the victory and the respect of Bogner. The group cautiously surround Jeff in a celebratory group hug without touching him. One of Jeff's classmates asks Jeff if he can introduce her to Abed, to which Jeff suggests that it would be better if she introduced herself instead.
In an ending tag scene, Troy and Abed mimick Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
, when suddenly Troy remembers that it's the day of his cousin's funeral.
Production
This episode was director Anthony RussoRusso brothers
Anthony and Joe Russo, known together professionally as the Russo brothers, are Emmy Award-winning American film and television directors. The brothers direct most of their work jointly, and they also occasionally work as producers, actors, and editors. The Russos are from Cleveland, Ohio, and were...
's sixth episode and writer Jessie Miller's first of the series.
Cultural references
- Numerous mentions of films and TV shows like Can't Buy Me LoveCan't Buy Me Love (film)Can't Buy Me Love is a 1987 teen comedy feature film starring Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson in a story about a nerd at a high school in Tucson, Arizona who gives a cheerleader $1,000 to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month. The film was directed by Steve Rash.-Plot:Ronald Miller is a...
, Love Don't Cost a ThingLove Don't Cost a Thing (film)Love Don't Cost a Thing, stylized as Love Don't Co$t a Thing, is a 2003 teen comedy film written and directed by Troy Beyer and starring Nick Cannon and Christina Milian It also stars Steve Harvey, Kenan Thompson and Kal Penn...
, Fat Albert and the Cosby KidsFat Albert and the Cosby KidsFat Albert and the Cosby Kids is an animated series created, produced, and hosted by comedian Bill Cosby, who also lent his voice to a number of characters, including Fat Albert himself. Filmation was the production company for the series. The show premiered in 1972 and ran until 1985...
, Facts of LifeThe Facts of Life (TV series)The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focused on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, a prestigious...
, ScrubsScrubs (TV series)Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
, Boys Don't CryBoys Don't Cry (film)Boys Don't Cry is a 1999 American independent romantic drama film directed by Kimberly Peirce and co-written by Andy Bienen. The film is a dramatization of the real-life story of Brandon Teena, a transgender man played by Hilary Swank, who pursues a relationship with a young woman, played by Chloë...
, Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
, CheersCheersCheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, The Brady BunchThe Brady BunchThe Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
and Mad MenMad MenMad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
(which also stars Alison Brie) - Jenny is seen reading the book Pride and PrejudicePride and PrejudicePride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England...
. - Jeff and Coach Bogners' pool match was an homage to Martin ScorseseMartin ScorseseMartin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
's The Color of MoneyThe Color of MoneyThe Color of Money is a 1986 film directed by Martin Scorsese from a screenplay by Richard Price, based on the 1984 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis....
with Jeff showing off like Tom CruiseTom CruiseThomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
's character and the song Werewolves of LondonWerewolves of London"Werewolves of London" is a rock song composed by LeRoy Marinell, Waddy Wachtel, and Warren Zevon and performed by Zevon. Included on Zevon's 1978 album Excitable Boy, it featured accompaniment by bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac.The single was released by Asylum as...
playing during the match. - Early in the episode, when Señor Chang dropped a book and orders Annie to, "Pick that up!", he was referencing his character, Dr. Kuni, from, the movie Knocked UpKnocked UpKnocked Up is a 2007 American romantic comedy drama film co-produced, written, and directed by Judd Apatow. Starring Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, and Leslie Mann, the film follows the repercussions of a drunken one-night stand between Rogen's slacker character and Heigl's just-promoted...
. Dr. Kuni said the same thing in the hospital to his male nursing assistant.
External links
- "Physical Education" at NBC.com
- "Physical Education" at TV TropesTV TropesTV Tropes is a wiki which collects and expands on various conventions and devices found within creative works. Since its establishment in 2004, the site has gone from covering only television and film tropes to also covering those in a number of other media such as literature, comics, video-games,...